It has been demonstrated by a large number of experiments that massage, as a remedial treatment, is very effective in various ailments. Since the spinal column is the trunk line from which a large number of nerves branch out to various organs, it is the center of various ailments and certain schools of healing have developed a system of treatment directed to the rectification of spinal defects, which in turn, relieves pressure on the nerves and improves the functioning of body organs by massaging specific stress points.
One such school of thought is the science of acupressure. Acupressure teaches that the internal functions of the body can be augmented by external stimulation of various anatomical parts and certain points. These points are called "effect points" or "stress points" and are located along the back of major trunks of the body. Thus, stimulation of the spine or soles of the feet have beneficial effect on the kidneys, spleen, pancreas, stomach, lungs, etc. These points have been stimulated in the past by finger pressure.
The following U.S. Patents disclose devices which may be used to massage the body: U.S. Pat. No. 1,533,528 (Weaver); 1,850,862 (Boyd); 3,616,794 (Gromala); 3,705,579 (Morini et al.); and 3,750,654 (Shiu).
The Weaver patent discloses a back massage instrument that has a center portion with a v-shaped valley which is placed over the spinal column of the user. This device has no means for adjusting the center portion to various positions. Thus, users are forced to massage their backs with a massager that will not be tailored to their specific needs.
The Boyd patent discloses a non-adjustable foot exerciser that has support wheels attached at both ends distal from the center of the device. This device is designed to exercise the muscles in a foot and would be impractical to use as a back massager.
The Gromala patent discloses a non-adjustable back massager with handle sections that are attached to respective ends of a central rolling structure. This device requires that a trained person be present to roll the device on the back of a patient and thus increases the cost and ease of access of treatment.
The Morini et al. patent discloses a non-adjustable massaging device which has a center portion with a v-shaped valley which is placed over the spinal column of the user with two half-spheres attached to each end of the central portion. This device has no means for adjusting the center portion in relation to the half-spheres. Thus, the users are forced to massage their back with a massager that will not be tailored to their specific needs.
The Shiu patent discloses a massaging device which has a central portion with a v-shaped valley which is placed over the spinal column of the user and two conical sections attached to each end of the central portion in such a way so that the diameter of the conical regions flare outward from the central portion. This device has no method for adjusting the v-shaped valley to fit the particular needs of a user.
Although all of the above-discussed devices relate to back massagers, they have the various disadvantages mentioned above and fail to provide for adequate adjustments to the v-shaped grove to suit the variety of different spinal structures of various individuals. Furthermore, the prior art does not teach providing a separable muscle massage device which can be removed from the device and utilized to massage individual muscles or stress points.